Our second day in Isla Gigantes started early in the morning with a spelunking adventure at Bakwitan Cave. After such exhilarating activity, we were ready to see the beauty of the island through island hopping. Our first stop: Tangke Lagoon.
Island hopping packages in Isla Gigantes usually include the four popular sites: Tangke Lagoon, Cabugao Island, Antonia Beach, and Bantigue Sandbar. We got our package at a very cheap price: Php 2800/pax which includes the 3d/2n stay at an air-conditioned room, the 5 meals for the duration of our stay, guides, as well as the boat ride to/from Isla Gigantes.
Cabugao Island though was not originally included in the itinerary because according to our guide and the owner of Las Marias resort, most people prefer not to visit the place because it has an entrance fee of Php 50/per pax, which is shouldered by the guests. This was surprising to us because that is a very small price for the beauty of Cabugao Island. It is the most famous island there after all.
The Tangke Lagoon is usually the first stop in island hopping because it is best visited in the early morning when it is high tide. Made up of saltwater, the lagoon is only filled up during high tide. If you visit during low tide, chances are you won’t have a decent amount of water to swim in and you won’t see the true beauty of its emerald green water.
From outside, with the island’s rock formations, you won’t think that somewhere among them lies a lagoon. The entrance to the lagoon is hardly noticeable if not for the numerous boats lined up toward it. Such other tourist boats are what you use as bridge to get to the lagoon. This is somehow tricky because during high tide, the waves are strong, so the boats are rocking back and forth as you cross.
Once inside the lagoon, you’ll notice its similarities with the lagoons in Palawan mainly because of its limestone rocks. Tangke Lagoon is smaller though and has more shallow water (probably my waist level) with a shade of green and not turquoise (as in Palawan lagoons).
Aside from enjoying the water and admiring the scenery, you can take photos on top of the various rocks here or look for fishes – though there aren’t many. It’s advisable that you wear slippers here too because the rocks (even underwater) are very sharp. I actually got several scratches as souvenir of my clumsiness here. Haha.
Cliff diving is also a popular activity here; there’s a spot among the rocks from where you’re supposed to jump off to the water. I wanted to try it but I was afraid that the water’s not deep enough to cushion my fall. Haha.
We took our time enjoying the water in the lagoon and only left when there were already a lot of people coming in. It was a beautiful place to jumpstart our island hopping and a nice place to relax as well.
Next post: the beautiful Cabugao island. Stay tuned. 🙂
Wanderworld 
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